2017 Total Commitments

$22,380,348

2017 Commitments Summary

Arts

$2,365,150 66 grants

The Foundation values the integral role that arts and culture play in making Cleveland an intriguing, inclusive and exceptional place to live. The breadth and depth of the cultural offerings in Cleveland can be found in its downtown core and University Circle centers, but also within its many diverse neighborhoods. The Foundation balanced support between organizations that were large and small, established and emerging, barrier-breaking and tradition-honoring. Arts and Culture remain a key component to sustain Cleveland’s civic vibrancy. Arts grantmaking totaled $2,365,150.

Economic Development and Community Revitalization

$3,669,813 25 grants

The Foundation’s keen interest in advancing inclusive economic growth were advanced by a grant of $750,000 to the Fund for Our Economic Future to assemble land for a business park along the Opportunity Corridor on Cleveland’s east side. Grants to Cleveland Neighborhood Progress to raise awareness of racial inequities and to develop advocacy capacity within the community development system also served this objective. We maintained our longtime interest in the revitalization of Cleveland neighborhoods with ongoing support for groups such as Cleveland Housing Network, LAND studio and Enterprise Community Partners. Economic development and community revitalization grantmaking totaled $3,669,813.

Education

$3,524,085 21 grants

The Foundation continued its investments in the Cleveland Plan, whose goal is to ensure every child in Cleveland attends a high-quality school and every neighborhood has a multitude of great schools from which families can choose. Grants included start-up support for new high schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District — Bard High School Early College East, Campus International High School, and Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School, among others — and for partnering charter schools, including Breakthrough Charter Schools and Stonebrook Montessori. Beyond school support, the Foundation made grants to the Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County for PRE4CLE’s efforts to provide high-quality preschool for Cleveland children, and to College Now for its college readiness, access, and completion work with Cleveland students. The Foundation provided continuing support for the Excellence in Teaching Award and made a new grant to the College Football Playoff Foundation for a new teacher induction and development program: both initiatives support Cleveland Metropolitan School District teachers. The Foundation Total education grantmaking was $3,524,085.

Environment

$3,676,250 31 grants

The Foundation’s grantmaking reflected its long-standing commitment to preserving Northeast Ohio’s distinctive ecosystem, supporting efforts to help Cleveland become a model of urban sustainability, restoring and protecting Lake Erie, and addressing climate change. In addition, grants were provided for policy analysis and advocacy efforts aimed at increasing the percentages of renewable energy and energy efficiency in our state, promoting a robust local foods infrastructure and encouraging smart growth. Environment grantmaking totaled $3,676,250.

Human Services

$6,766,500 83 grants

In 2017, the Foundation prioritized nimble, timely public policy analysis and advocacy grants in response to growing threats to the social safety net in both Washington and Columbus. This included deploying grants through a Rapid Response Fund, where funds were available in real time to keep pace with the constantly evolving efforts to cut and/or fundamentally alter the structure of public investments in basic human needs bolstering the poorest and most vulnerable citizens in Cleveland, Ohio, and across the country. Support for the healthy development of under resourced children remained a high priority and was reflected in support for major initiatives, including First Year Cleveland, a community-wide initiative to reduce Cleveland’s unacceptably high rate of infant mortality. Work continued and grew around critically needed justice system reforms for both youth and adults. The Ohio Transformation Fund (a collaboration with national and local funders and key reform-focused nonprofit partners aimed at reducing mass incarceration and racial disparities in Ohio’s criminal justice system) accelerated efforts to propel a statewide justice system reform ballot issue for the November 2018 ballot in Ohio. Encouraging progress was made to interrupt the state’s school-to-prison pipeline through state legislation reforms and early stages of bail reform was advanced in Cuyahoga County, aided by the rigorous data analysis and advocacy of grantees. Support continued for health care reforms. Human services grantmaking totaled $6,766,500.

Special Commitments

$2,378,550 14 grants

The Foundation demonstrated its continued commitment to state and local voter advocacy to help increase the participation in American democracy by its citizens. We also maintained a commitment to fund research on the causes, nature and prevention of inherited retinal degenerative diseases and continued support for a wide range of organizations working to strengthen the nonprofit and philanthropic fields. Special commitments grantmaking totaled $2,378,550.

Total commitments since inception of the foundation in 1952

$735,298,700

Please visit our grants search engine to look up all grants since 2003.